Approximately 3.5 million metric tons of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) are produced globally each year for use in waste treatment, pulp and paper bleaching, and the chemical industry. H2O2 is an environmentally-friendly, atom-efficient, and selective oxidant for chemical synthesis. Unfortunately, current industrial-scale synthesis is problematic. Direct synthesis from H2 and O2 has been largely unsuccessful and is inherently dangerous. H2O2 is environmentally unfriendly, expensive, and difficult to carry out at all but the largest scale. Moreover, H2O2 must be diluted before shipping.
Accordingly, there remains an ongoing effort in the art to develop a safe, efficient and economical method for H2O2 production, to utilize the benefits and advantages associated with this oxidant.